Sleeve for hydraulic push rods



Aug. 26, 1952 A. w. ANDERSON 2,608,450

SLEEVE FOR HYDRAULIC PUSH RODS Filed July 6, 1948 12. Ila ma ma INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1952 SLEEVE FOR 2,608,450 p I l HYDRAULICPUSHRODS August W. Anderson, Lantana, Fla. Application July s, 1948, Serial No.3'7,276

This invention relates to a sleeve for a' hydraulic push rod.

In some internal combustion engines, the valve lifter or .push rod, that is part of the valve assembly and is interposed between the valve stem and the camshaft, is of the hydraulic rather than the manually adjusted type. This is for the purpose of keeping the clearance between the lifter or push rod and the valve stem at zero throughout each rotation of the camshaft. The supply chamber within the hydraulic valve lifter receives oil under pressure from the lubricating system of the engine through a port in the lifter body.

There has been a notable weakness in engines using hydraulic push rods for lifting valves, in that the bore in the engine block in which the hydraulic push rod is mounted tends to wear and become larger. As a result, oil is allowed to escape, this lowering the pressure of the oil required for the most efficient operation of the hydraulic'push rod, thus oil starving the push rod and also other bearing surfaces, subjecting them to undue wear.

/ The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a sleeve for hydraulic push rods, that can be interposed between the rod and the wall of the bore in which it is mounted, thus to bring the diameter of the bore in which the rod reciprocates back to a correct size, and permitting valve action at full efficiency once again.

Another important object is to provide a sleeve of the character described that is readily insertable in proper position, can be installed in new as well as older engines, will include as a component part thereof means for insuring proper positioning of the sleeve, and which will not interfere with the passage of oil to and from the push rod or valve lifter.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through my sleeve, mounted in proper relation to a valve lifter and block.

Figure 2 illustrates the sleeve in side elevation. Figure 3 is a top plan View of the sleeve. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view.

1 Claim. (01. 308-5) Figure'5 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, conventional portions of the engine will first be described. These comprise a camshaft 5 having the cam 6, that is adapted to elevate the hollow hydraulic lifter or push rod 1. The lifter has an aperture 8 constituting a port for the entry and discharge of oil. A circumferential groove ill provides access to said .port, and brings it into communication with the oil passage of the block. A valve stem is designated II), the spring is designated II, and the block I2. The block has oil passages I3.

All the above constitute conventional construction, in an internal combustion engine equipped with hydraulic push rods or valve lifters.

The invention embodies a sleeve for the push rod that is provided with a cylindrical tubular body portion I4, in which the valve lifter I has a snug fit, the valve lifter being permitted free reciprocation within said body portion. The body portion opens at both ends, and in length is substantially the same as the thickness of the block I2 in which it is mounted. It fits tightly in the block, and is not movable relative to the block.

Intermediate its ends, the tubular body portion I 4 is provided with diametrically opposed slots I5, positioned in communication with the oil passages I 3.

At its upper end, the body portion is integral with an annular flange I6, that is adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the block I2. Thus, the flange I6 comprises a means for posi tioning the sleeve properly relative to the block, and to a hydraulic lifter that it surrounds. When the flange comes against the surface of the block in mounting the sleeve in the bore of the block, the sleeve will have been properly positioned with its slots I5 in the same plane with the oil passages I3.

As will be observed, oil is permitted to enter through the slots I5, moving into the circumferential grooves 9, and entering port 8 of the valve lifter.

By reason of the construction illustrated, the life of an engine will be greatly increased, in that the loss of oil pressure due to the excessively worn bores of the block is eliminated. Not only is the loss of oil pressure and undue wear on the parts eliminated, but also, the engine itself will obviously be much quieter in operation.

The sleeve can be made of any suitable material, such as brass, bronze, or suitable alloys engine block having an opening and diametrically opposite oil passages communicating with said opening at opposite sides thereof, and with a hydraulic valve lifter rod slidably reciprocable in said opening and formed with an annular exterior groove and a port communicating with said groove, saidlifterrod in one extreme position being disposed with its annular groove in a plane common with said passages, of a sleeve including a cylindrical body portion formed open at oppo site ends and coextensive in length with the thickness of the block, said valve lifter rod being slidable longitudinally of the body portion and slidably contacting the inner surface of said body portion, there being diametrically opposite slots formed in said body portion in the plane of said oil passages and communicating with the respective passages to provide communication between said passages and the groove in said extreme position of the valve lifter rod through diametrically opposite portions of the side wall of said body portion; and an annular flange formed. on

one end of the body portion and extending outwardly of said end of the body portion to overlie one surface of the block, the body portion being immovably mounted in said opening.

AUGUST W ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Halford Apr. 7, 1936 

